Mackenzie update November 14, 2024

 2024-11-14 -  UIHC Intensive Care Unit - Iowa City, IA -  ~3 Minutes

Lots of people asking how Mackenzie is doing so here is this morning’s update…

I was working from home yesterday, Wednesday, November 13, and took a break at about 1:30 following a meeting so I could check on Mackenzie. She was in bed and sitting up so I asked her how she was feeling and she said she was tired and hungry. I asked her what she would like for lunch and she did not answer. Another question went unanswered so I called 911. At that time, I asked her to lay flat in the bed and she understood and did that, but her right side was almost completely non-functional. We had a policeman at the door within about two minutes and the ambulance was there in about 10 minutes. She was taken to Marshalltown ER and directly in for a CT scan.

After perhaps an hour she was transferred by ambulance to Iowa City where we are now. She could not go by helicopter because it was raining and overcast at the time.

Chris and I arrived at about 5:15 in Iowa City in the middle of heavy traffic, headed to the basketball game, and they had already left the ER headed for surgery which started at about 5:07 PM. Surgeons performed a thrombectomy, removing a blood clot from her left carotid artery, and another from her brain. They determined that she did indeed have a small tear in her left carotid artery that was healing and clotting aggressively, again. Once the clots were removed they installed a stent in her artery to help avoid additional clotting.

She was moved to ICU around 8 PM after surgery where she’s resting now. Last evening she was unable to speak and still had little to no control over her right side, but tests revealed that the blood was flowing again as it should. She was able to respond to questions by squeezing our hand, but that was about it This morning she was sitting up in bed and had what looks like full control of her right side again, and she was able to answer some questions and speak briefly.

She is resting comfortably while doctors monitor her brain function with an EEG. They believe she will remain in ICU at least overnight.

The big question today is why her regimen of Plavix didn’t prevent the clotting. We were told that some people don’t respond fully to Plavix and alternative medication’s may be necessary so that is today’s investigation.

I’m sorry for the blanket response, but I will try to keep everyone updated as best we can. Thank you for understanding and for pulling for Mackenzie at this time. Take care.

-Mark M